1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protection from coastline erosion caused by wave action or tidal surge and the restoration of coastline lost from such wave action or tidal surge activity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a wave suppressor and sediment collection system (sometimes referred to as the WSSC System) which is transportable and can be installed along a coastline which provides a sufficient barrier to disrupt the tidal wave flow into the coastline while at the same time allowing sediment to be carried through the system by the wave action and water currents and to be trapped and deposited at points between the system and the coastline to allow coastline restoration to occur.
2. General Background of the Invention
The loss of valuable coastline for states along the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean is a very serious problem. For example, using the Gulf of Mexico as an example, for thousands of years, the flow of the Mississippi during flood stages, carried rich soil and sediment into Louisiana and the result was the creation of a vast fertile Mississippi River delta region which was inhabitable and where crops could flourish. In recent times, with the discovery of oil and gas beneath the Louisiana coast, oil companies have built a vast system of canals in order to allow boats and self-contained drilling rigs to be transported inland in order to recover the oil and gas. This vast system of canals has allowed the intrusion of salt water into the lower delta, and by doing so has killed off thousands of acres of valuable marsh land, which had helped maintain the valuable soil in place. In addition, the marshland served as a first barrier against the onslaught of hurricanes and helped slow down the movement of the storms and reduce the storm surge before the storm reached habitable portions of the state.
However, with the loss of valuable marsh grass, the soil became susceptible to erosion, and consequently miles of valuable coastline were lost. It is estimated that coastal erosion by the flow of the tides on a daily basis results in a loss of many square miles of coastline. Furthermore, the reduction in the marsh land has resulted in the reduction of protection from hurricane storm surge and wind velocity. Many believe that Hurricane Katrina was a prime example of a hurricane that came ashore and because there was little marshland to hinder its winds and surge, resulted in the enormous amount of wind and water to be carried far inland.
Therefore, there is a need in two vital areas. The first is a system, such as was provided by the barrier islands years ago, which would hinder or reduce the surge of tidal water inland during normal tidal cycles, and also during storms, so that the surge does not damage the coastline. Second, there is a need for a system which would allow the wave action to move through the system, carrying with it tons of sand and other silt material, buoyant in the water, but the sand and silt being trapped between the system and the shoreline and forced to be deposited and increase the solid material which would eventually form additional coastline.
The following U.S. patents are incorporated herein by reference:
TABLEISSUE DATEPATENT NO.TITLEDD-MM-YYYY3,373,568System for Reclamation of Land03-19-19683,387,458Seawall Structures06-11-19653,632,508Method and Apparatus for Desilting01-04-1972and/or Desalting Bodies of Water4,367,978Device for Preventing Beach Erosion01-11-19834,479,740Erosion Control Device and Method10-30-1984of Making and Installing Same4,708,521Beach Building Block11-24-19874,978,247Erosion Control Device12-18-19907,029,200Shoreline Erosion Barrier04-18-20067,165,912Apparatus for Rebuilding a01-23-2007Sand Beach7,507,056Apparatus for Controlling Movement03-24-2009of Flowable Particulate Material2009/0154996Shoreline and Coastal Protection and06-18-2009Rebuilding Apparatus and Method4,711,598Beach Erosion Control Device12-09-1997